'Thats a vile sinne,' then sayd the king, 'May God forgive it thee!' Amen, amen,' quoth earl marshall; 'The next vile thing that ever I did, 'Thats a vile sinne,' then sayd the king; 'May God forgive it thee!' 'Amen, amen,' quoth earl marshall; ‘And I wish it so may bee.' 'Do you see yonders little boye, A tossing of the balle? That is earl marshalls eldest sonne, And I love him the best of all. Do you see yonders little boye, A catching of the balle? That is king Henryes youngest sonne, And I love him the worst of all. His head is fashyon'd like a bull; His nose is like a boare.' 50 55 60 65 70 'No matter for that,' king Henrye cryd, 'I love him the better therfore.' The king pulled off his fryars coate, And appeared all in redde: Ver. 63, 67, She means that the eldest of these two was by the earl marshall, the youngest by the king. She shrieked, and cryd, and wrung her hands, 75 The king lookt over his left shoulder, And a grimme-look looked hee, 'Earl marshall,' he sayd, but for my oathe, 80 IX. THE STURDY ROCK. This poem, subscribed M. T. [perhaps invertedly for T. Marshall]1 is preserved in 'The Paradise of Daintie Devises,' quoted above in page 113.—The two first stanzas may be found accompanied with musical notes in 'An howres recreation in musicke, &c. by Richard Alison, Lond. 1606, 4to:' usually bound up with three or four sets of 'Madrigals set to music by Tho. Weelkes, Lond. 1597, 1600, 1608, 4to.' One of these madrigals is so complete an example of the bathos, that I cannot forbear presenting it to the reader. Thule, the period of cosmographie, Doth vaunt of Hecla, whose sulphureous fire Trinacrian Etna's flames ascend not hier: These things seeme wondrous, yet more wondrous I, The Andelusian merchant, that returnes Laden with cutchinele and china dishes, Reports in Spaine, how strangely Fogo burnes Amidst an ocean full of flying fishes: These things seeme wondrous, yet more wondrous I, Whose heart with feare doth freeze, with love doth fry. Mr. Weelkes seems to have been of opinion with many of his brethren of later times, that nonsense was best adapted to display the powers of musical composure. THE sturdy rock for all his strength By raging seas is rent in twaine: VOL. II. 1 Vid. Athen. Oxon. p. 152, 316. I 5 The stately stagge, that seemes so stout, Is caught at length in fowlers net: Yea, man himselfe, unto whose will All things are bounden to obey, Doth fade at length, and fall away. But vertue sits triumphing still Upon the throne of glorious fame: X. THE BEGGAR'S DAUGHTER OF BEDNALL GREEN. This popular old ballad was written in the reign of Elizabeth, as appears not only from ver. 23, where the arms of England are called the Queenes armes;' but from its tune's being quoted in other old pieces, written in her time. See the ballad on 'Mary Ambree' in this volume. The late Mr. Guthrie assured the Editor, that he had formerly seen another old song on the same subject, composed in a different measure from this; which was truly beautiful, if we may judge from the only stanza he remembered. In this it was said of the old Beggar, that down his neck his reverend lockes The following ballad is chiefly given from the Editor's folio MS. compared with two ancient printed copies: the concluding stanzas, which contain the old beggar's discovery of himself, are not however given from any of these, being very different from those of the vulgar ballad. Nor yet does the Editor offer them as genuine, but as a modern attempt to remove the absurdities and inconsistencies, which so remarkably prevailed in this part of the song, as it stood before: whereas by the alteration of a few lines, the story is rendered much more affecting, and is reconciled to probability and true history. For this informs us, that at the decisive battle of Evesham, (fought Aug. 4, 1265,) when Simon de Montfort, the great Earl of Leicester, was slain at the head of the barons, his eldest son Henry fell by his side, and, in consequence of that defeat, his whole family sunk for ever, the king bestowing their great honours and possessions on his second son Edmund earl of Lancaster. PART THE FIRST. ITT was a blind beggar, had long lost his sight, And though shee was of favor most faire, Wherefore in great sorrow faire Bessy did say, "Good father, and mother, let me goe away Then Bessy, that was of bewtye soe bright, All cladd in gray russett, and late in the night Who sighed and sobbed for prettye Bessee. 5 10 15 Shee went till shee came to Stratford-le-Bow; So sadd and soe heavy was pretty Bessee. Shee kept on her journey untill it was day, Shee had not beene there a month to an end, Great gifts they did send her of silver and gold, The young men of Rumford in her had their joy; Foure suitors att once unto her did goe; The first of them was a gallant young knight, 20 25 30 35 40 |